Under a full moon
by Wyndes
Summary: Just a tiny tag for the irresistible last scene in "Of Mites and Men"


"_From now on, if I stay in Eureka, it won't be because I have to be here. It'll be because I want to be." _

* * *

><p>"Where would you go?" Jo hoped the question sounded casual, but it felt like she was forcing the words out through frozen lips. <em>Leave Eureka?<em>

"M.I.T., maybe." The answer came far too fast for her liking. He glanced at her and with an almost sheepish smile, said, "You probably wouldn't know this but before I turned into a glorified computer tech, I was into particle physics. The theoretical stuff. Real mind candy."

"I – I do know that." Jo swallowed, and looked away. Should she tell him? "The, ah, the other you was working on the Big Bang experiment and then the, um, supercollider. You were looking for dark energy? And, um, the Higgs Boson?"

"Seriously?" Zane looked both startled and delighted. "Wow, that's so cool. Did I not get kicked out of MIT?"

"No, no, you did," she told him.

"And Yale. And Cornell," she added dryly.

He grinned at her. "Some things don't change, I guess."

"I guess." She forced a smile. "So, you looking to be Doctor Donovan? You want to get your PhD?"

"Eh," he shrugged. "I don't care about the piece of paper so much. Just the science."

Jo pressed her lips together and looked away. That sounded familiar. Maybe too familiar.

"But it's a stupid idea anyway. Going to college with a bunch of kids? No, I was too young the first time around, but there's no point now." He returned his gaze to the night sky and the full moon that was lighting up Main Street.*

"If it's what you want, you should go for it," Jo said. Her hands gripped the railing a little tighter. Was she really trying to talk him into leaving? What was possessing her?

"Nah, some things. . ." he let the words trail off.

"Hey, you managed to overcome much worse odds to get on the candidate list for Astraeus," Jo pointed out.

"Not alone," he answered, his tone and sideways glance showing his gratitude.

Jo tried to acknowledge it with a smile, but it was strained. If she'd had any idea that fighting to get him approved for Astraeus would mean that he'd leave her. . . _Not her_, she corrected herself quickly, _Eureka_. He wasn't leaving her. They weren't, their relationship wasn't, things between them – well, it wasn't like that. And if he wanted to go to M.I.T., he should. He should follow his dreams.

"Anyway, that's not what I meant," he continued. "I know I could do it if I wanted to. Hey, Fargo got a doctorate from M.I.T., how hard can it be?"

Jo puffed out a chuckle. "Funny."

He turned to face her and the sarcasm was gone, his eyes serious. "What I mean is that other things are more important to me."

"More important than physics?" she tried to ask the question lightly, but she knew that her eyes were just as serious as his.

"Yeah." He nodded, his gaze dropping to her lips. "Yeah." His voice was husky. Jo felt her heart pick up its pace, her breath catch, and then a burst of laughter and shouting from inside Café Diem drew Zane's attention.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Ah, Henry and Grace are getting married," Jo replied, letting her attention be pulled that way, too.

"Aren't they married already?"

"Well, sort of." She shrugged. "Call it renewing their vows."

"Ah, right. Because Henry wasn't around the first time." Zane was looking contemplative, as he watched the scene inside the restaurant. And then, as if shaking off his mood, he looked down at her and grinned. "Have you eaten yet?"

"Just finished."

"Want to sit with me while I eat?" The question was casual, but the look was not. The real invitation was behind the words, was in what happened later, after dinner.

Jo bit her lip. She needed to get some sleep: she'd been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, after all, and it had been a long day. And who knew what tomorrow's candidate testing would bring? She should say no.

"Sure."

_*A/N: I can't believe I don't know this, but is it Main Street? Or is it a scientist name, like all the other streets in Eureka? _


End file.
